Tipping Point host Ben Shephard was once credited with helping a woman who lost her voice due to motor neurone disease speak again.
Helen Whitehall thanked the “lovely” Ben back in 2021 and said she “couldn’t have done it without” him.
Scottish Helen appeared on Tipping Point back in 2019 – before her May 2020 diagnosis. And it was the tapes of the recording that have enabled Helen to speak again.
Ben Shephard on Tipping Point
Helen was diagnosed with MND back in May 2020 and her speech rapidly deteriorated.
During GMB in 2021, Ben’s co-host Charlotte Hawkins revealed she had wanted to record her voice for a communication aid, but was unable to do it.
And that’s where her Tipping Point appearance came in very handy.
Ben revealed: “Thanks to an appearance on Tipping Point in 2019, engineers were able to use audio recordings to reconstruct her voice and give her back the power of speech.”
Ben Shephard surprised Helen from Tipping Point studio
Ahead of the interview on GMB with Helen and her daughter Gillian, a video was shown of Ben surprising Helen from the Tipping Point studio.
Helen was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year and her speech deteriorated rapidly.
Helen paid tribute to Ben and told him she couldn’t have got her voice back without him. Typing into her communication aid, Helen said: “I couldn’t have done it without you.”
TV star Ben said it was “amazing” to hear Helen’s voice again and she responded by blowing Ben a kiss.
Helen was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year and her speech deteriorated rapidly. But thanks to her appearance on Tipping Point in 2019 they were able to use audio recordings to reconstruct her voice.@benshephard | @CharlotteHawkns pic.twitter.com/2rREIcc88T
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) April 15, 2021
Ben on Good Morning Britain
Ben asked Helen’s daughter what it was like hearing her mum’s voice again. She said: “I think it’s fantastic. It’s made such a difference to us all and gives us something to smile about.”
However, it appeared Helen’s voice wasn’t quite how it used to be, given the engineers used her “posh” TV voice for the recording!
“That’s maybe the only thing about it being collated from Tipping Point,” Gillian laughed. “She’s slightly more polite than she would normally be!”
Helen ‘enjoyed’ Tipping Point hugs from Ben Shephard
Charlotte then asked Helen what her favourite thing about appearing on Tipping Point was.
“My favourite moment had to be meeting the lovely Ben Shephard and secondly winning,” she said, although Ben reminded viewers she didn’t land the jackpot counter.
Helen added: “And I enjoyed my two hugs at the end of the show.”
Continuing to pay tribute to Ben, Helen concluded: “Ben was a great host and his charm settled everyone’s nerves.”
Read more: Ben Shephard forced to take over as Cat Deeley left in tears on This Morning
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